The Pancake Muffin recipe is taking on a life of its own in my house. The method is so easy and it is so versatile that everyone is asking me to make these for almost any occasion. In this episode I’m making Apple Pancake Muffins, but last year I made these as Birthday Pancake Muffins (link) for Christina’s birthday party. I also made a more basic recipe on television during the pandemic. There is no end to the way these can be adapted.
This recipe was born out of all the apples we picked on a fall weekend in Connecticut. We love apple picking with our family, the problem is that we have tons of apples to eat when we get home. I’m endlessly searching for recipes to use them up! I made these muffins using our favorite pancake mix. It’s so easy to do this that I can put my children in charge of making the batter. I love having them with the kitchen with me and I know they enjoy these accessible cooking activities.
To give these an apple crumble-like feel I cut up one fresh apple and add the chunks to the top of the muffin. Then I made a simple brown sugar streusel to sprinkle on top. This is a great topping for these muffins because it gives the muffins a little extra sweetness and has a generous helping of cinnamon, which is my favorite spice to pair with apples.
These don’t take very long to bake and cool. This is why my kids often make them the same morning we want to eat them. I also pack them for snacks in lunchboxes and invite them to dig in after school. Suffice it to say, one batch is the perfect amount for my three kids who still live at home. These never last more than one day. (Though, if yours do be sure to store them in an airtight container!) I hope you all have a lot of fun with these in your household, they are truly perfect for fall!
APPLE PANCAKE MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
Using pancake batter is my favorite muffin-making secret. It is the muffin base and is so much easier to prepare than a muffin recipe from scratch. In some ways it makes these muffins perfect for breakfast…or lunch!
1 large apple, peeled and chopped into 1/4” pieces
2 1/2 cups of prepared pancake batter
Streusel Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 12-cup muffin tin.
Divide your prepared pancake batter evenly amongst the 12-cup muffin tin. Each muffin cup will be about ½ full.
Add about 2 teaspoons of the chopped apple on top of the prepared pancake batter.
Prepare the streusel by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Use clean hands to pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until the batter resembles small pebbles.
Pat about 1 tablespoon of streusel on top of each muffin. Don’t push it down into the batter, it will fold in while the muffins are baking.
Bake the muffins for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nikki Glekas is the owner of Nikki Glekas Events, a full-service catering and events company located in Stamford, CT. She is currently operating with COVID-safe procedures and is happy to discuss your event and catering needs with you. To discuss further please contact team@nikkiglekasevents.com or call 203.658.8659.